Good morning GH.  Somehow, I have succeeded in changing the appearance of my task bar and my desktop. I wish I knew how, but I don't.  I hope that I can ask someone who knows, but right now, I'll have to work around it.  Found out in yesterday's GH Tribune, that the proposed street race won't happen until 2014, and then only if the right financing, sanctioning body, etc. can be lined up.  The final venue will be just slightly north of our home, at Harbor Island.  As I recall from the first meeting, that was the preferred site, so that came as no surprise.  Considering the benefits that would accrue to GH by having the race at Harbor Island, it seems like a good fit with minimal disruption to the downtown area.  We shall see.  Looking out the weather window this AM and I still can't see much here at 7:00 AM.  Of course, if I kept better track of the times when I can see out, I would have a better handle on what is right and or different, but that wouldn't be me, now would it?  Otherwise, I anticipate a slow day here in our household.  I plan to do some housework, and then read for awhile.  That's after watching the morning news programs, of course.  Sugar and Mary are still snug in their beds, and Mary wanted to know why I was getting up so early.  I dunno, probably because I didn't want to disturb those two.  Anyway, looks like it is.........Tea time.

Good morning GH.  Unlike yesterday, I can't predict the weather by looking out the window.  Too dark. Maybe that in itself is a prediction.  If I can't see out at the same time that I could yesterday, then that is the harbinger of things to come today.  In fact, it was brighter when I arrived at the keyboard today than it is now, about 15 minutes later.   Of course, I could just listen to the weather report, but where is the fun in that.  Last night I had a great trip to the local library to hear a presentation by one of our local Michigan authors.  To borrow from Adam, the man was an Indian, and he knows that and is proud of the fact.  The gentleman noted that all people who were born in the USA are native Americans, and he is, in fact, an American Indian,  He strongly believes in the spirituality of events and in the Witiku, the shape-shifter as it is known in his native language.  For more information on David, visit his website.  If you want the address, just ask.  As he pointed out, all of the peoples have a word for this spirit.  In English, we use Sasquatch, Big Foot, etc.  Call it what you will, David believes.  His history is as varied as his life experiences, and his ability to tell a story is evidenced in his books.  I read his first book in the series and liked it, so I was fortunate to get a gratis copy of the latest book in the series.  Now I have to read the middle one in the series so that I can keep them in order.  I told him that his writing reminds me of myself, a good thing I think.  As he noted, he is a story teller, not a writer in the traditional sense.  Me too.  Oh well, it looks like it is Tea Time.  Looks like that weather event has arrived.

I am always amazed by the enjoyment that  you can get on a spring morning here in GH.  I find that as I get older, that the joy for life that I feel hasn't yet abated.  I think that the French call it joie de vivre, or something like that.  I found time to go to the Y yesterday, and it was a pleasant experience to get in the pool for the second time this week.  The water main construction going on in the parking lot of the Y is a bit of an irritation, but not really an inconvenience.  What is an inconvenience, is the speeds at which people drive on the local streets.  I know Adam would say that if they are going too fast, then I am getting too old, but speed is for the race track, not the streets where I live.   Tonight, we plan to go to the library for a presentation by a local MI Native American author.  I read his fictional account of a casino plan for Lake Michigan, and although it was long, I enjoyed it.  He was writing from his experiential background as a Native American.  Things like, military service and law enforcement.  They say when you wrote from that perspective it is hard to go wrong.  Of course, throwing in wise older people, beautiful women who wouldn't give a real old guy a second look, and the like, you get a thriller that sells.  It worked for me.  Otherwise, not much is happening here in GH at 6:50 in the AM, so I think that it is (wait for it), Tea Time!

Good morning GH.  It is now about the same time as it was yesterday when I sat down to blog.  51 degrees and the sun appears to be coming up.  Much windier though.  I just learned that we have a landscaping person coming over at 9:00 AM to discuss the bricks we would like to have installed in the back yard.  Nothing fancy, but something we would like to get done.  Otherwise, I will simply say, Tea Time.

Good morning GH.  One advantage to waiting till 7:25 AM to log on is that the outdoors is now visible out my weather window. I pronounce the day clear, but looks colder.  According to the temperature gauge on my desktop, it is currently 36 degrees.  It could be worse, as the farmers north of here are setting fires to keep their fruit crops from getting frost on them and ruining the entire year.  I know how that works on a very small scale, because I had my lone apple tree at my old house get frost bitten one year and had no apples to pick in the fall.  I have to ask someone how to create the symbol for degrees in the short form.  Maybe Mary or Steph, or Adam knows.  Nice story in yesterdays Grand Haven Tribune about the proposed street race.  Next meeting is scheduled for Thursday night at the community center.  The discussions will be moving to the how to get the race sanctioned, how to create a governing board, etc.  Got a call last night from the people at the R.E.A.D, program.  A possible student.  I am not certain if I want to take on the task of driving.  They will be sending info about the person, so much will depend on that driving thing, especially in winter.  Mary made a killer dip the other night and then yesterday we had it as a salad dressing.  It was also excellent in that role.   So many possibilities when you eat at home.  Mary spends a huge amount of time in the kitchen and I appreciate her efforts.  The foods are great and the health benefits are wonderful.  Otherwise, not much is happening today, at least not so far.  Oh, I did get the new lawn mower assembled.  Turned out to only need an 11 mm wrench a no curses.  It worked fine on the one swath that I cut on the way to the garage.  Now I can say it, Tea time.

Good morning GH.  Another day is about to dawn and this is still a righteous place to live.  Temperatures have dropped some, with a current temperature of 26 degrees showing on my desktop this AM.  However, that's okay, because the need to go out of doors is less urgent this morning.  Yesterday, I actually got to ride my new bike and the upright riding position is stranger than I have experienced before, but the overall ride quality is great.  Of course, I haven't ridden in over two years due to my various physical problems, and so, some of the uneasiness I felt is likely related to that too. Today, it is too cold to ride, but not so cold that I won't get other things accomplished.  I watched the Grand Prix from St. Petersburg, FL yesterday, but still had time for other things.  I was fascinated by the cropping up of problems related to the new car designs and of course I was also fascinated by the different engine options being used this year, Chevrolet. Lotus, and of course, Honda.  Interesting that the engines are now V6 and turbocharged rather than V8 and normally aspirated.   That part I don't understand.  Maybe someone can explain how that is or is not an improvement.  Got a new table and chairs to assemble, but that may wait until the weather warms up a bit.  I still need to get it out of the car though.  I think I will go to the Y today and do some swimming.  I haven't been since before we left town and I need to gt back in the "swim" of things.  Otherwise, not much is happening today.  Tea time!

Good morning GH.  I assume it to be morning, although it is still so dark out that I can't testify to that from personal observation, only from the time showing on my desk clock.  After some really great "lap time", Sugar and I had a great walk yesterday, and then came back, read the paper and planned our day, well at least Mary and I planned our day.  Sugar, her plans were obvious, sit, lay, eat, ask for treats, etc.  Who says that a dog who finds the right humans doesn't live the life of Reilly?  Come to think of it, I wonder if anyone stills knows the derivation of that phrase.  It seems to have come into use about the first part of the 20th century, and it was the title for a popular radio and television show of the same name starring some very well liked actors, but that is about all of the info that I have.  Mary and I were discussing the various phrases that we use, some that were "inherited" from parents and others from our children.  A couple of examples are "riding shotgun", and "icebox."  Both from the parental units.  Our son, Adam, gave us "stitches", "kooey", "spaghetti roll casserole," and various derivatives from that phrase.  I don't know if Steph has any "shop worn" phrases, but I bet she does.  Just something to think about when you are cruising through life and its lexicon.  Today, I plan to assemble the lawn mower, so that Mary can use it, assemble the patio furniture, which we both can use, and then put the furniture to personal use as I read the NY Times.  Beyond that, I hope for some bike riding and little else.  Therefore, it's Tea Time!